Lumb warns of England's IPL tensions

Michael Lumb, who was one of three England cricketers barred by Nottinghamshire from taking part in the 2013 Indian Premier League, has admitted he considered going freelance rather than miss out on the opportunity to play in the most lucrative event on the growing Twenty20 circuit.

After careful thought, the 33-year-old batsman, part of England's successful T20 side in India and New Zealand over the winter, rejected the idea because he wants to achieve success with Nottinghamshire. But he believes others on the county circuit will choose not to seek full-season contracts if it rules them out of the IPL.

"I think you will see more and more of that with the money being thrown round these leagues, especially among players who don't see themselves playing Test cricket, if the English clubs don't allow their players to go because it clashes with county fixtures," Lumb said.

"I think there is a mood among the players to change things so we do get the opportunity to play. If the rules can be done in such a way that we can take part, we'd like to play. But at the minute that's not going to happen."

Lumb's warning provides a clue to the strong debate taking place in private between the ECB and players' representatives, led by the Professional Cricketers Association, over the rights of England players to compete in IPL rather than be persistently excluded.

Lumb has played in the IPL twice before, notably with Rajasthan Royals in 2010, but along with Alex Hales and Samit Patel, he was told he could not put himself forward for the 2013 player auction because of the fixture clash between IPL 2013, which starts on April 3, and the County Championship, which begins seven days later.

Nottinghamshire encourage their players to play competitive cricket during the English close season but were not prepared to lose three players at the start of the domestic programme. They had a contractual right to insist that their players were available for the full county season.

"Our players can play wherever they want to between October 1 and April 10," Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell said. "I've got no issues with that. We encourage our players to play abroad -- Riki (Wessels) went to Bangladesh, Hales and Lumb to the Big Bash and Samit's now got a gig in South Africa. But there has to be a point at which you say 'no, we need all of our best players together now'."

With the English county season continuing until the last week of September, clashing dates mean that no English teams will participate in the Champions League this year. Lumb regards that as another contentious issue, especially after his own success with Big Bash side Sydney Sixers in last year's Champions League, when his unbeaten 82 was the match-winning innings in the final.

"Having no teams in the Champions League is a huge blow for English counties," Lumb said. "I was part of it last year and I know it is a fantastic competition.

"Playing the final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg was great for me because it allowed me to play in my home town and in front of my mum and dad, who had not seen me play for a while. But for any player to play before a full house in a stadium like that is a fantastic buzz.

"As for the IPL, it is disappointing that we can't be involved this year. I can see it may cause a bit of trouble in the future and it something the management and coaches need to sort out.

"I don't know how it will work or if there is a solution. I have thought about going freelance but for me it is not the right thing at the moment. I'm enjoying my cricket right now and enjoying being at Notts, with this group, and I want this group to have success, so for me it is not really an option. But I can see other players looking at it."

Lumb's comments follow Matt Prior's admission that England players are becoming 'frustrated' that central contracts restrict them to being available for only half the IPL because of the clash with Test fixtures. Prior, championed in England at least as the finest wicketkeeper-batsman in the world, but not a part of England's T20 side, was given a base price of $200,000 dollars at the IPL auction but failed to attract a bid, leaving Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan as the only centrally contracted England players in the 2013 tournament.

The Professional Cricketers' Association is pressing the ECB to allow England players to play a fuller part in the event when their central contracts are renegotiated in October, although the ECB is thought unlikely to yield given its commitment to broadcast partners to put on seven Tests every summer. One solution to ease the burden - a six-Test summer - is only debated in private.

Meanwhile, Newell admits he is worried that the likes of Lumb, Hales and Patel, who accepted the county's hard line this year, might not always see his point of view.

"It does concern me," he said. "It is going to come up again regularly and it is an issue the counties have to address.

"Next year, because there is a World t20, the IPL is going to start later and push more into our season, which means it is going to cross over the start of our new t20 competition. Somebody is going to have to have a look at that aspect too.

"I think Hales is a bit young yet to be selling himself around the world but players who are 34 or 35 such as Owais Shah and Ryan ten Doeschate will just do that. And down the line Michael Lumb might want to do it as well."

Unfortunately, England is the only country which is really adversely impacted by the IPL. Everyone else except the West Indies plays their domestic cricket between October and March and the WI can play at any time because the climate permits it. England has a short season as it is and it can't be rearranged because the weather simply doesn't allow it.

I don't see any solution that works for English domestic cricket. I'm sure some players will do what Lumb suggests and become free agents, making themselves available for the IPL and then trying to pick up a county contract for the rest of the English summer. I don't blame them for that; they're professionals and they have to make a living.

However, in the long term, I think IPL money will dry up as the novelty wears off, and in any event not that many players who are not good enough for tests will be offered IPL contracts. The message should be don't panic, this too shall pass.

venkatesh018
on March 29, 2013, 13:42 GMT

It is just a matter of time before the dam breaks...It is the right of the English players to earn their share of IPL riches....The ECB says it wants to preserve the stature and integrity of Test matches and then goes on to schedule Test matches in cold and miserable May fielding players "who want to be elsewhere" against teams depleted by players "who ARE elsewhere" . Tell me how does it preserve the integrity and value of Test Cricket !

zenboomerang
on April 2, 2013, 11:52 GMT

Its funny how many go off on a tangent to the main story - its about Eng players being underpaid compared to Ind, WI, NZ, SA, SL & Oz players who play in the IPL or even in some domestic comps...

In Oz the basic wage for an average SS cricketer is over £50,000 (that doesn't include BBL wages that adds at least another £20,000) - in County (2013) if you are 18y.o. you get a basic wage of £12,009 while 24y.o. receives £18,653 yet play much more cricket... Yeah, that seems fair :P...

Matt Prior is one of the best keeper/batmens in the last few decades, yet gets a pittance to what Oz's top 6 Test cricketers get - really feel sorry for guys who give their all for their country yet get left out to dry by the ECB & County system...

ladycricfan
on April 2, 2013, 8:04 GMT

People are talking about lack of interest in uk for IPL. I used to watch in setanta. Now ITV is showing it. Does it matter how many are watching or who is telecasting it? As long as somebody telecast it for those who want to watch and enjoy, it's fine. It's ITV 's 3rd or 4 th year of telecasting IPL, that means there are enough people watching it to make profit. IPL is an Indian domestic tournament and I'm sure high percentage of uk viewers are from Indian community.

zenboomerang
on April 2, 2013, 5:12 GMT

Why are the Eng fans saying their summer is so short?... In Oz, we get all our international duties done in Nov, Dec, Jan,Feb - usually with 6 Tests & a couple of ODI series, T20 + the BBL... Can't be that hard - can it?... Last Eng summer it took May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep to do the same - seems the ECB is pushing Tests earlier into May - sours grapes?... It would be better to have T/20's & ODI's in May with Tests later - ODI's can be played in wetter conditions & shortened (D/L) while washed out Tests are a bore...

ThyrSaadam
on April 1, 2013, 14:33 GMT

For all those skeptical about IPL's longevity should just reconsider their notion, as the IPL is already in its 6th edition. So it is here to stay. I think ECB should be smart and atleast provide its centrally contracted players something like a bonus to avoid IPL or pay as much as a top player in IPL would. As for the Lumbs, Hales' its sad but true that they would probably not represent their country in test/odi formats and so should be given a bonus amount of what an avg player would make in the IPL if they stayed to play the County Season.

DaveGCI
on April 1, 2013, 7:35 GMT

@YS_USA You have to live in UK to appreciate how pathetic that audience is. That's the maximum for the channel not the IPL. The IPL will be watched by a fraction of that average of 250,000. You could put three English players in each team and it would not make a difference. It is not a tournament that millions of people outside of India care about. I repeat what i put in my earlier post, if it really mattered Sky Sports would be interested. It isn't. And Sky never misses an opportunity to increase its subscriber base.

2.14istherunrate
on March 31, 2013, 16:08 GMT

If IPL was scheduled to run in October/November then only Emg;lish players would turn up,or wouldall the other country's players forsake their own domestic competition. The fact that IPL doesn't even run in the normal Indian season seems to say it all. |They just od not care about us or the international calendar and are art best like cuckoo's invqading other bird's nests. Why should we kowtow to them?

YS_USA
on March 31, 2013, 15:07 GMT

DaveGCI, It is a domestic tournament and its exploits will be always secondary to tests, OIDs and T20s, but it is surprising that "average audience is 250,000 and whose peak audience was 3.5m." in UK while there are no British players in the IPL.

DaveGCI
on March 31, 2013, 12:18 GMT

@Ys_USA articles yes, but who will remember any players for IPL exploits in 20, 30, 50 or 100 years time?
My answer is still no one.
The IPL is a domestic competition. Nothing more.
And if it was really that important, why hasn't Sky Sports shown any interest in it?
Instead it's shown on some ITV digital channel whose average audience is 250,000 and whose peak audience was 3.5m. for simultaneous broadcast with ITV 1 of Bradley Wiggins, a British hero, winning the Tour de France

landl47
on March 29, 2013, 19:08 GMT

Unfortunately, England is the only country which is really adversely impacted by the IPL. Everyone else except the West Indies plays their domestic cricket between October and March and the WI can play at any time because the climate permits it. England has a short season as it is and it can't be rearranged because the weather simply doesn't allow it.

I don't see any solution that works for English domestic cricket. I'm sure some players will do what Lumb suggests and become free agents, making themselves available for the IPL and then trying to pick up a county contract for the rest of the English summer. I don't blame them for that; they're professionals and they have to make a living.

However, in the long term, I think IPL money will dry up as the novelty wears off, and in any event not that many players who are not good enough for tests will be offered IPL contracts. The message should be don't panic, this too shall pass.

venkatesh018
on March 29, 2013, 13:42 GMT

It is just a matter of time before the dam breaks...It is the right of the English players to earn their share of IPL riches....The ECB says it wants to preserve the stature and integrity of Test matches and then goes on to schedule Test matches in cold and miserable May fielding players "who want to be elsewhere" against teams depleted by players "who ARE elsewhere" . Tell me how does it preserve the integrity and value of Test Cricket !

zenboomerang
on April 2, 2013, 11:52 GMT

Its funny how many go off on a tangent to the main story - its about Eng players being underpaid compared to Ind, WI, NZ, SA, SL & Oz players who play in the IPL or even in some domestic comps...

In Oz the basic wage for an average SS cricketer is over £50,000 (that doesn't include BBL wages that adds at least another £20,000) - in County (2013) if you are 18y.o. you get a basic wage of £12,009 while 24y.o. receives £18,653 yet play much more cricket... Yeah, that seems fair :P...

Matt Prior is one of the best keeper/batmens in the last few decades, yet gets a pittance to what Oz's top 6 Test cricketers get - really feel sorry for guys who give their all for their country yet get left out to dry by the ECB & County system...

ladycricfan
on April 2, 2013, 8:04 GMT

People are talking about lack of interest in uk for IPL. I used to watch in setanta. Now ITV is showing it. Does it matter how many are watching or who is telecasting it? As long as somebody telecast it for those who want to watch and enjoy, it's fine. It's ITV 's 3rd or 4 th year of telecasting IPL, that means there are enough people watching it to make profit. IPL is an Indian domestic tournament and I'm sure high percentage of uk viewers are from Indian community.

zenboomerang
on April 2, 2013, 5:12 GMT

Why are the Eng fans saying their summer is so short?... In Oz, we get all our international duties done in Nov, Dec, Jan,Feb - usually with 6 Tests & a couple of ODI series, T20 + the BBL... Can't be that hard - can it?... Last Eng summer it took May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep to do the same - seems the ECB is pushing Tests earlier into May - sours grapes?... It would be better to have T/20's & ODI's in May with Tests later - ODI's can be played in wetter conditions & shortened (D/L) while washed out Tests are a bore...

ThyrSaadam
on April 1, 2013, 14:33 GMT

For all those skeptical about IPL's longevity should just reconsider their notion, as the IPL is already in its 6th edition. So it is here to stay. I think ECB should be smart and atleast provide its centrally contracted players something like a bonus to avoid IPL or pay as much as a top player in IPL would. As for the Lumbs, Hales' its sad but true that they would probably not represent their country in test/odi formats and so should be given a bonus amount of what an avg player would make in the IPL if they stayed to play the County Season.

DaveGCI
on April 1, 2013, 7:35 GMT

@YS_USA You have to live in UK to appreciate how pathetic that audience is. That's the maximum for the channel not the IPL. The IPL will be watched by a fraction of that average of 250,000. You could put three English players in each team and it would not make a difference. It is not a tournament that millions of people outside of India care about. I repeat what i put in my earlier post, if it really mattered Sky Sports would be interested. It isn't. And Sky never misses an opportunity to increase its subscriber base.

2.14istherunrate
on March 31, 2013, 16:08 GMT

If IPL was scheduled to run in October/November then only Emg;lish players would turn up,or wouldall the other country's players forsake their own domestic competition. The fact that IPL doesn't even run in the normal Indian season seems to say it all. |They just od not care about us or the international calendar and are art best like cuckoo's invqading other bird's nests. Why should we kowtow to them?

YS_USA
on March 31, 2013, 15:07 GMT

DaveGCI, It is a domestic tournament and its exploits will be always secondary to tests, OIDs and T20s, but it is surprising that "average audience is 250,000 and whose peak audience was 3.5m." in UK while there are no British players in the IPL.

DaveGCI
on March 31, 2013, 12:18 GMT

@Ys_USA articles yes, but who will remember any players for IPL exploits in 20, 30, 50 or 100 years time?
My answer is still no one.
The IPL is a domestic competition. Nothing more.
And if it was really that important, why hasn't Sky Sports shown any interest in it?
Instead it's shown on some ITV digital channel whose average audience is 250,000 and whose peak audience was 3.5m. for simultaneous broadcast with ITV 1 of Bradley Wiggins, a British hero, winning the Tour de France

Chinney
on March 31, 2013, 10:43 GMT

Lets face it,there is more money to be made playing one IPL series than ten years playing County Cricket.Surely for County Cricket to remain viable is it not better to ensure that players can still make some money in what is a relatively short playing career,than to make them remain impoverished and play full time for the county hasbeens.

on March 31, 2013, 8:37 GMT

Its Good By ECB nd Counties
BCCI wants players from all countries to be part of IPL but then they don't allow their players to play anywhere be it Big BAsh,County,Slpl nd all.
India Has 4 ipl teams in CLt20, noway that is fair nd still see the results
thats just ridiculuos

YS_USA
on March 31, 2013, 3:47 GMT

IPL needs to be expanded and not trimmed. The playoff matches should be best of 3 and the final should be best of 5. These are the real matches where sponsors make money and people watch playoff matches more than regular season matches.

subbass
on March 31, 2013, 1:17 GMT

And to think it was us English who 'germinated' T-20. My god, what have we done !

Robster1
on March 30, 2013, 23:43 GMT

Errr - maybe Lumb could return to South Africa and then he could play in the IPL without any restrictions. But yes, test matches in England in May are often chilly and pointless.

on March 30, 2013, 19:48 GMT

It's time it was laid on the line for county cricketers wanting to play in the IPL. Let them go but don't welcome them back. They want to choose a contract which clashes with their county commitments but they can't have it both ways. Perhaps they should pay into a bond to compensate counties who've spent years developing them. County cricket is denuded enough by players being absent on all sorts of international commitments including England Lions and Englamd U-19s fixtures. Many sides are now just glorified 2nd XIs compared to the sides of just a few years ago. If players can go AWOL to the IPL then the County season may as well not start until the IPL ends at the start of June - (and PS, what happens if the IPL expands and lasts even longer, as is often proposed). I also question the role of the PCA in supporting players wanting to go to the IPL - maybe it's time for the ECB to review it's funding of the PCA if it is going to act in a way hostile to English cricket?

2.14istherunrate
on March 30, 2013, 13:25 GMT

Anyone would think that IPL was the main item on the annual calendar for cricketers. The fact that IPL does not infringe on the India's domestic fixture list is indicative of its true place in the fixtures in as much as India will not give up a week of its own season for this. I admire Notts for this and if people have to choose so be it. Some people may just play t20 cricket-hooray.:Lets weed them out now! The fact that IPL encroaches on both the English and the West Indian seasons so much shows how little the organisers care about international cricket in both and it is a sad fact that West Indies now has to organise its international programme around it. Really the IPL to be practical needs to have two weeks lopped off it instead of sprawling over 2 months. And the organisers need to honour the international circuit by allowing it real primacy. It is after all a bit of nonsense after the end of real cricket, and anyone in doubt should cast their mind back to England's epic draw.

British_North_America
on March 30, 2013, 11:28 GMT

Andrew Crocker I am not sure if Lionel Messy will give up all his sponsor deal and large club earning to improve his football technique.At the end of the day, all are professional cricketers and they play for money.They do not play cricket for hobby, do they?

British_North_America
on March 30, 2013, 11:20 GMT

IPL and English county are financially no match.Playing county cricket is in no way similar to play for England team.So, it does not make any sense not to play IPL for county cricket.It is just another league but it is a first class league.But at the end of the day,all of them are professionals and they play for money.No matter how good players they are, they cannot earn any money by playing once they cross 40.So, ECB should realize it.I think England should have a better T20 domestic competition.Australia has Big Bash which offers good financial benefits to players.Why ECB does not launch such league?Friends Life T20 is not a very high profile competition that can give English players much money.

Sanjayascc52
on March 30, 2013, 10:22 GMT

The ECB failed to grab the oppertunity to of te IPL, Champions League, instead it threw it's lot in with the failed league in the West Indies. (Alan Stanford)

CA & SACB decide to join India. If the ECB had a commercial interest in the IPL CL they may have let the player play, unfotunatley the counties miss out on CL revenue this year due to the long season.

If the ECB had shot itself in the foot many moons ago.

ladycricfan
on March 30, 2013, 10:08 GMT

Before ODI and T20, only 11 or so players made good money from cricket. Now that we have 3 formats, there are chances for more players to make good living and career in cricket has become more attractive. Only a very few are able to adapt to all three forms of cricket like KP, ABD and Dhoni. Many are are specialists to one form or the other. Instead of ridiculing T20 that it spoils batsman's technique, we should appreciate the current situation that we are able to see lots of talented cricketers and also more new fans.

canterbury1990
on March 30, 2013, 9:53 GMT

It's up to the players to decide what they want. Nottinghamshire and other counties have done the right thing by insisting players play the full season at home. The players cannot have it all, they either play for the county/country wholeheartedly and with full commitment or they don't. These days players earn a good solid living from just playing county cricket and they are very well off if they play for England under a central contract. Players receive a lot of benefits under an England contract and county contract, which they would never receive from any foreign domestic team. I think the players would do well to remember that. At the end of the day the players are adults and they can decide for themselves what is better for them, to play in the IPL and go freelance or stay with county. The counties/England cricket will survive and continue, but they players should consider whether parting with their counties would really be profitable for themselves in the long run.

@Crickyboy , by the way England have proudly stated that they were once T20 world champions..

If T20 is not good for cricket, then why play it??
T20 is there to stay, nobody can change it. I myself is not a fan of T20,but I have accepted it as a reality, thats it.

Few tournaments like IPL(not JUST IPL) have to be given a window. ICC hasn't taken up any discussion on FTP AFTER the invention of IPL, when that happens we all will know if any countries except ENG agree for any matches to be played during Apr-May.

Prince gave up international cricket for Lancs and thats okay for you guys but others cant do that???

ShanTheFanOfSachin
on March 30, 2013, 8:43 GMT

@Crickyboy,
Its absolutely true that Test cricket is the pinnacle. But then why T20 was ever introduced into cricket?even ODIs for that matter!

Its not just only some players love technique,temperament,etc,etc. All would love, but they all would also be keen to make some money during their peek,end of the day all must secure their future. People like you and I dont give up their jobs to watch test cricket,do you?

Test cricket must survive, no question, I love Test cricket more than any other form. But then you can not have sections of players earning loads of money and others are not even given a chance. ECB,BCCI,ICC must give up their ego and find a window for IPL or any other tournaments for that matter. If that doesn't happen, whatever Lumb says will happen one day, we can sit and talk all day about test cricket,practical reality is THAT will happen soon

GeoffreysMother
on March 30, 2013, 8:39 GMT

Everyone has a choice whether they stay with an employer, change jobs or set up on their own. That's life, you can't have your cake and eat it. What England should not do is compromise their own leagues in order for a few players (and it is a few) to play in a different one and then return to their home league when they have nothing better on.
The English counties spend a lot of time, effort and money developing young players: the IPL doesn't: it is essentially a parasite on the system. Nottinghamshire are right. English cricket will lose a few aging Lumb's and Shah's and survive well enough. The likes of Hales and Buttler have harder decisions to make about their careers - like lots of young men in their 20's.

corncrake
on March 30, 2013, 8:38 GMT

Whilst I agree that the players must look after themselves financially and make provision for their post-playing days, who is going to spend good money watching county cricket when the top players are in India?

on March 30, 2013, 7:48 GMT

England introduced cricket and not willing to let their players play cricket and make more money?

IPL generates money and share with the global players which is something special compared to some of the boards not sharing the money with their players!!

ECB please let them play in India or whatever league comes up in future, let the world see the quality of English players, let's all have fun while the players, boards and franchisees make money.

What's wrong?

Crickyboy
on March 30, 2013, 7:34 GMT

@ShanTheFanOfSachin, because fortunately some people still believe in testing the true abilities of a cricketer such as temperament, application, technique, stamina, mental strength, etc etc. through TEST matches...None of these are required to be stars of T20. For some pride is more important than money..

indicricket
on March 30, 2013, 7:00 GMT

England sowed the wind (by conjuring up T20) and now are reaping the whirlwind. Personally, I wish T20 just goes away. But....

ShanTheFanOfSachin
on March 30, 2013, 6:45 GMT

Footballers quit international football to prolong their professional/club career, why not cricketers??

landl47
on March 30, 2013, 5:34 GMT

@ultimatewarrior: let me guess- you've never been to England in February and March, have you?

YS_USA
on March 30, 2013, 4:38 GMT

DaveGCI, There are articles that Raina has most runs, Malinga has most wickets, and Dhoni has two of the five titles. Money is just extra for all of them.

ultimatewarrior
on March 30, 2013, 4:08 GMT

If every Cricket Board and Management can think in the favor of Players & Cricket Fans there is one way.......1. Australia Big Bash from Dec-Jan 2. England can have theirs one limited over championship(40-40 OR T20) just after the Big Bash i.e. Feb-Mar 3. IPL can be organized in Apr-May 4. Play remaining English County Season from Jun-Sep Alongwith Srilanka & Bangladesh T20 5. Oct-Nov we can have South African T20.......and so the whole year we can have quality T20 all around the world and live happily :).............

on March 30, 2013, 2:52 GMT

Leg side sloggers who cant play spin are not in short supply.

RodStark
on March 30, 2013, 1:45 GMT

I still think it could be solved by starting the season in England a little later and starting the IPL a little earlier, but that said, I think England's well-paid contracted test players should be required to be available (but will some of the NZ team be absent in the IPL this year?). But for "20-20 specialists" like Lumb, Hales, Buttler, Patel, Keiswetter, etc., I think that from England's point of view, they would develop better skills for international games that they're likely to play in by taking part in the IPL, so it shouldn't set back their England chances. As for the counties, you can understand their point of view because they want to win, and missing some of their best players for the first three games might set them back too far. However, these same counties are happy to give contracts to overseas players for just a small part of the season, so if I was Lumb I would go with the IPL renegotaiate my county contract, and Notts would just have to lump it.

on March 30, 2013, 1:06 GMT

The English players' dilemma is slightly exaggerated. I can't explain why, but English players are not that sought after by IPL teams; unless one is an Andrew Flintoff or a KP.

Let me make it clear, that is the case, even if they are available for most of the IPL season. In public, to be 'diplomatically correct', talent hunters of most IPL teams will quote lack of availability as the reason, for the lower level of interest. But in private, they will concede a real lack of excitement.

Even the short form specialist and a well recognized national / international player like Collingwood ( who can also roll his arm over and field well) was benched, most of the time, by his IPL team. So, this is a case of making a mountain of a mole-hill.

PeteB
on March 30, 2013, 0:10 GMT

I think ultimately players can't be sated by just playing T20. Maybe that's why players have second thoughts about going freelance. It's like subsisting solely on a diet of fairy floss and chocolate. You eventually crave something more solid and satisfying, like long games of cricket, where you can structure an innings, work a batsman out, go through ups and downs. Maybe towards the end of their careers freelancing is more tempting as it is a chance to fill your boots playing in various T20 leagues. But I expect the Counties can stare most players down.

on March 30, 2013, 0:07 GMT

Let them go. They are contracted to play for a county, so if they DID go they will be in breach of their county contract. Then sue them for 100% of their ipl earnings plus court costs. Sounds daft? This is what would happen in the USA. Happened with the Japanese baseball exodus about 30 years ago. Happens all the time in other sports in fact. Let them go, then sue them. Ipl will be gone in five years anyway. Really dull competition, so in the long run this won't be an issue.

bumsonseats
on March 29, 2013, 22:38 GMT

lobsterchamps. the central contracted players do not play no more than 2 county 4 day games and very little of the odis or T20 games. so not sure your comments or observations are correct. re the aus state game well not sure your comments are right at that point either perhaps you can clear up why you think the current team does anything to prove your point IC seems to be not that sure of the state game either.

torsha
on March 29, 2013, 20:44 GMT

Lumb is not a good player anyways. So no discussion here really. Glad he chose county cricket.

shillingsworth
on March 29, 2013, 19:33 GMT

@venkatesh018 - Of course English players have a right to participate in the IPL. However, they don't have a right to breach their county or central contract in order to do so. May test matches have been staged since 2000 - how many have been played in 'cold and miserable' conditions? May in England can be as you describe but it can also be gloriously sunny and warm. If test matches are no longer staged in May, tours by smaller test nations will become a rarity.

on March 29, 2013, 19:30 GMT

Honestly, I think it could be a good thing. Young players with have the opportunity to fill in in the first few matches and stake a claim, whereas they may not have a taste of first class cricket otherwise. If the returning seniors (and I don't believe English players are that popular in the IPL auctions) find their place "nicked" by a promising youngster, that's their problem.

skilebow
on March 29, 2013, 19:21 GMT

This really is a non story. Lumb decides not to join IPL! He's not even a good player! I think the real stars will stay out of the IPL because they get an excellent regular salary playing for England. It will only be the players who are past it or not good enough who will jump ship

Behind_the_bowlers_arm
on March 29, 2013, 18:47 GMT

ICC & the Boards need to sort it out. India have the biggest and best T20 tournament and the month of April should be cleared to accomodate it. Cricket in England in April (and May!) is a sodden freezing waste of time so it should be delayed til something resembling summer turns up. While we are at it cancel the Big Bash and save Cricket Australia $10m a year.

vxttemp
on March 29, 2013, 18:37 GMT

IPL or any competition for that matter, doesn't matter domestic or international - at the end "who pays what" that's the key. I don't know how county cricket is better than any other domestic competition. If it is, then england should be dominating cricket all the time. I don't see that.

yorkshire-86
on March 29, 2013, 18:26 GMT

SMJ 'i think counties should let thier players go, its not as if they are going to miss all of the matches'? Missing 1 match is enough to consign this hit and giggle nonsence to the dustbin. The only players that benefit from the IPL are the 4-5 greatest T20 sloggers in the country, who have to prove themselves as one of the greatest T20 players in the country's history before they can get a contract. Hales and Buttler would never get a contract.

sweetspot
on March 29, 2013, 18:21 GMT

Sounds like the crime of not promoting cricket is coming to haunt Test nations. Seriously, in over a 100 years of international cricket, only nine teams are playing at the top level? How ridiculously under promoted and under exploited is that? The IPL is the way forward and nobody is going to be able to stem the tide. This is a paradigm shift and nothing is going to even make a dent in it.

@DaveGCI - Who cares about fringe players in county sides either? You realize of course that even if you're a cricketing superstar at the highest level, you'd still only be recognized in a dozen nations give or take a few, right? So, who really cares about being "remembered" when being celebrated is available and attractive!? You play well in the IPL, you'll be remembered by 1.2 billion people minimum. Does England have anything to match this?

vxttemp
on March 29, 2013, 18:18 GMT

I'm with players if they want to earn money. Talking about patriotism. We all have ways to show that. How many of us shows that? why we choose MNC over a national company. We know it pays more. There are many players who suffered. Has ECB or BCCI helped them? Have we helped any?

vxttemp
on March 29, 2013, 18:14 GMT

@DaveGCI - You are saying like, playing to a county team will give a bradman or a Tendulkar's sort of recognition. I know some of the aussies, english and even Indian players because of IPL. By the way, I'm not saying IPL is great for the cricket. At then end, money matters to his wife, kids, parents and family. Just getting name will not even pay their medical insurance. And I'm not saying counties will not pay. They need/want money like any of us.

sunhu
on March 29, 2013, 17:31 GMT

Ofcourse it is a domestic tournament, what matters most is the money and county season in cold winter weather, eventhough it is summer-British summer time

on March 29, 2013, 17:17 GMT

To take it as an example, during my local cricket playing days I used to travel a lot to different places to play against their top local teams for small trophies. Looking at the huge amount of money in IPL, who wouldn't want to earn? Anyone who knows he has a very little chance of playing for their country will obviously jump in to IPL & earn too much in 6-8 weeks. Rather than playing long county seasons without too much in their account and less future.

JG2704
on March 29, 2013, 17:15 GMT

@venkatesh018 on (March 29, 2013, 13:42 GMT) CTD

It's a shame that IPL is scheduled at the same time as the Eng county season but that's the way it is so it's not just the Eng national side's tests (which were scheduled at that time before IPL came along which are affected).
There were loads of neg comments re Notts not allowing their players into IPL but it's not an anti IPL thing , it's just that it clashes with the ECC season.
If IPL took place any time between Oct and March , I'm sure no CC side would have an issue with their players playing it.
You also have to understand that the English summer is not long and the weather over here is becoming more and more unpredictable so it's not like we have a huge window to work with either

JG2704
on March 29, 2013, 17:10 GMT

@venkatesh018 on (March 29, 2013, 13:42 GMT)

1 - Sure it is the players rights to chase the money but by the same token it's the employers rights to have the bound to their contracts.
The player will sign the contract of his own free will. If there is something in the contract which prevents a player doing something he wants to do elsewhere then it is up to the player to either
A - make sure the contract is renegotiated
B - not sign the contract
or C - Sign the contact and put up with it

lobsterchampion
on March 29, 2013, 16:43 GMT

I think its just a matter of time before key players in England start giving preference to IPL over County Championship. I have been saying this for a long time, the English County season is too long. A season consisting of 16 games per side is a bit too much. Add to it the limited over and T20 competition, it will do nothing but add to player burnout. In my opinion the Australian domestic structure is the ideal. They play less number of games, but the quality is much better and it is more competitive.

Cricket_Fan_And_Analyst
on March 29, 2013, 16:38 GMT

On its part IPL should allow at least 5-6 foreign players per team. That would level the playing field.

thekaz
on March 29, 2013, 16:30 GMT

I really do think that players like Hales/Buttler should be allowed to go. I know they are still young and contracted to their counties, but surely the IPL playing against the best players and in front of thousands of people, is good for their development.?

I dont think they should miss games for their counties, but their is a window there that they could play, Pietersen was going to play 10/11 out of 16 matches? Please correct me if i'm wrong.

sjm5000
on March 29, 2013, 16:29 GMT

I think counties should let their players go, the championship is 16 games, so it's not as if they're going to miss all of the matches. It would help if the IPL could be granted a 6 week window between mid March and late April. If players do come back injured counties, may want to only pay them a basic fee, but lets not forget that that could have happened playing grade or district cricket in Oz or NZ which most counties encourage, or even training in the cold. They're normally going to come back match fit and ready to play. Their absence should be seen as a chance to have a look at fringe and younger players.

DaveGCI
on March 29, 2013, 16:22 GMT

Will anyone be remembered for what they do in the IPL, which is, after all, only a domestic competition? No.

JG2704
on March 29, 2013, 16:18 GMT

@Charlie101 on (March 29, 2013, 12:21 GMT) Agree -provided the county teams who they play for are cool with it? At the end of the day the players have been brought along and nurtured by their county sides and would not be in a window for Eng or IPL withouth them

@trav29 on (March 29, 2013, 12:43 GMT) Yeah , I've said siimilar before. Also I guess the player would have to defer a central or county contract to begin with so unless your name starts with Kevin and end with Pietersen it's a bit of a gamble , cutting ties before you are guaranteed a well paid role at one of these franchises. Maybe someone like Shah who has played several IPL seasons could do it , but if you look at some of our established players -

Morgan - picked last year benched for the whole tournament
Swann - He went for the 2012 auction and was not picked up at I think around 200k base price.

So if an English player wants to defer his contract , I'd say based on the above 2 examples - Good Luck! -you'll need it

riverlime
on March 29, 2013, 16:13 GMT

the players need to decide for themselves if they want the money or the respect. however, if they pick IPL over national or county duties, then should know that they will be passed over for someone who chose the lesser pay available in English cricket. Having said that, even County pay is a living wage and can support a man's family, so it's nothing to sniff at. Put it this way, a Consultant Surgeon's starting salary is about £70,000 per year, with all the years of study and training and all the responsibilities that comes with that position. EVERY player in the English cricket team earns more than that, for much less effort.

Hammond7249
on March 29, 2013, 16:09 GMT

Michael Lumb seems to forget that he got injured playing in the IPL and then missed almost a whole season at Hampshire and when he did play was completely useless. I wasn't sorry to see him go to Nottinghamshire.

IndiaNumeroUno
on March 29, 2013, 15:15 GMT

Why is ECB so thick? From what I understand it rained whole year last cricket "season" in England and nearly 80% of county fixtures got called off/ delayed. This year it seems its still freezing and might rain buckets again well into the "cricket season". ECB should stop wasting their and the players time and allow them a IPL window - where play actually takes place on the field - rather than waiting in the pavilion to stop raining/snowing!

on March 29, 2013, 14:52 GMT

Who cares what form it is..! We love cricket as whole...! Tests,ODI's,BBL,IPL etc wateva it is...As long as we r entertained, we will love watching cricket...! Pl stop crying only abt test's & country matches. As long as they get paid to play, m sure anyone wud love to travel to any part of the world at any point of time..!!

ladycricfan
on March 29, 2013, 14:39 GMT

A bird in the hand worth two in the bush. Playing in county and playing for your country will give England players financial security and also that is where they learn their skills and show their credentials. IPL is like a lottery. You may be chosen if you are lucky or you may not. Although IPL money is too attractive to ignore, how the clashing of IPL and county seasons can be solved , nobody knows.

dailtire
on March 29, 2013, 14:30 GMT

whether the other nations want their player to take part in ipl is their issue ..but saying that ipl will spoil cricket is rubbish. kohli, ashwin, raina, vijay, jadeja and many talents have come up because of ipl only.ipl has also showcased talent of other countries : marsh, pollard,narine and many other foreigners have got their nations attention because of their ipl performance.

on March 29, 2013, 14:26 GMT

Yet another example of how the IPL has damaged cricket and cricketers, this time off the field rather than simply in pure cricketing terms. This has the potential however to have more far reaching damaging affects on the sport than merely altering players techniques.

on March 29, 2013, 14:07 GMT

If you are an England contracted player and your County appearances are limited then I don't see why you should be freed to play IPL.

If players who are not centrally contracted want to go freelance then that is their choice. But in affect it is not freelance unless they don't actually have a county team, the likes of Owais Shah just has a shorter county contract and is no difference from an overseas player coming in for 3 months etc.

The worry would be if top younger players such as Alex Hales and Jos Buttler who may not think they have immediate Test prospects decide to throw their all into the IPL and maybe turn their back on One Day International and T2O international cricket. They would still play a good chunk for their county missing noi more games than if they were away on England limited over duty and could reap the IPL riches plus play in the Big Bash etc.

D-Train
on March 29, 2013, 13:46 GMT

Players are going to have to make a choice. If I'm employed by one organization they're not going to let me freelance somewhere else while I'm supposed to be working for them, so you can understand the position that the counties are in.

However you can also understand the position the players are in. Back in the Sheffield Shield I read Trent Copeland was earning $70,000 a year playing cricket at one stage. Compare that to a Kane Richardson who's earning literally 10 times that in about 1 month.

on March 29, 2013, 13:27 GMT

There is this little vicious cycle here. Those who have low chance to play for England, will not get lucrative bids in the IPL auction. Those who can get a good bid are the ones who are already playing for England, or have good chance of playing soon.

So, those who have little chance to play for their country, but salivate on the missed chances to make easy bucks will only get heartburns and peptic ulcer. So, forget it; get your heads down; and get cracking good performances for your respective counties. Who knows, fortunes may change with consistent good performances.

on March 29, 2013, 13:19 GMT

I don't get a lump in my throat, reading Lumb's lament, on the lack of luck for a lot of lads in the English county circuit! ( But, I thought, County circuit is adequately rewarding in money terms, in addition to supremely rewarding in cricketing terms).

I truly wish, a lot of young Indian cricketers go and play for English counties to LEARN good cricket. They are the best nurseries to assimilate good cricket, and good cricketing habits.

trav29
on March 29, 2013, 12:43 GMT

there are probably only a handful of players who would get a big enough contract from the IPL, if they were even bought in the first place, to justify giving up a full-time county contract

the worry for me about this whole thing is that the knock-on effect on county cricket by having to accommodate these handful of players could be detrimental to the 99% that wont get t20 money anyway and by definition those handful of players that could benefit from the t20 are those that are probably the highest earners anyway

on March 29, 2013, 12:33 GMT

It has become rather fashionable these days to claim a moral high ground by saying, "I want to play in IPL, but I chose not to because I want to play for my county or country." If you want to play in the IPL, then play. If you don't want to play, then don't play. No need to make a big song and dance about it.

aditya.continous
on March 29, 2013, 12:32 GMT

well both sides have a point of view that they'd like to hold onto...the money invovled is so much that's almost hard to ignore for the players and u cnt criticize them for trying to earn a few extra bucks ..the test side which stays at top position at the end of the cricket calender year gets us$450,000...that is for the whole bunch of players and support staff..that is the money that johan botha alone earns from IPL!

on March 29, 2013, 12:24 GMT

Why do players want to play IPL so much? Money. They don't really want to play in the IPL, they just want the money.

I don't understand how players can enjoy the IPL or any T20 cricket. As a bowler, you only get to bowl 4 overs. As a batsman, if you are lucky you will face an average of 20-25 balls per innings. In cricketing terms, this simply isn't lucrative. In money terms, it's very lucrative. A lot of money for not a lot of work.

Charlie101
on March 29, 2013, 12:21 GMT

I feel any player in our T20 squad who does not have a full central contract and is therefore not playing Test cricket should be encouraged to go to the IPL to improve their skills and learn more about playing in the subcontinent

Professor.Biscuit.Khan
on March 29, 2013, 12:05 GMT

About IPL:

You can LOVE it, You can HATE it but you can NOT Ignore it.

landl47
on March 29, 2013, 19:08 GMT

Unfortunately, England is the only country which is really adversely impacted by the IPL. Everyone else except the West Indies plays their domestic cricket between October and March and the WI can play at any time because the climate permits it. England has a short season as it is and it can't be rearranged because the weather simply doesn't allow it.

I don't see any solution that works for English domestic cricket. I'm sure some players will do what Lumb suggests and become free agents, making themselves available for the IPL and then trying to pick up a county contract for the rest of the English summer. I don't blame them for that; they're professionals and they have to make a living.

However, in the long term, I think IPL money will dry up as the novelty wears off, and in any event not that many players who are not good enough for tests will be offered IPL contracts. The message should be don't panic, this too shall pass.

venkatesh018
on March 29, 2013, 13:42 GMT

It is just a matter of time before the dam breaks...It is the right of the English players to earn their share of IPL riches....The ECB says it wants to preserve the stature and integrity of Test matches and then goes on to schedule Test matches in cold and miserable May fielding players "who want to be elsewhere" against teams depleted by players "who ARE elsewhere" . Tell me how does it preserve the integrity and value of Test Cricket !

Professor.Biscuit.Khan
on March 29, 2013, 12:05 GMT

About IPL:

You can LOVE it, You can HATE it but you can NOT Ignore it.

Charlie101
on March 29, 2013, 12:21 GMT

I feel any player in our T20 squad who does not have a full central contract and is therefore not playing Test cricket should be encouraged to go to the IPL to improve their skills and learn more about playing in the subcontinent

on March 29, 2013, 12:24 GMT

Why do players want to play IPL so much? Money. They don't really want to play in the IPL, they just want the money.

I don't understand how players can enjoy the IPL or any T20 cricket. As a bowler, you only get to bowl 4 overs. As a batsman, if you are lucky you will face an average of 20-25 balls per innings. In cricketing terms, this simply isn't lucrative. In money terms, it's very lucrative. A lot of money for not a lot of work.

aditya.continous
on March 29, 2013, 12:32 GMT

well both sides have a point of view that they'd like to hold onto...the money invovled is so much that's almost hard to ignore for the players and u cnt criticize them for trying to earn a few extra bucks ..the test side which stays at top position at the end of the cricket calender year gets us$450,000...that is for the whole bunch of players and support staff..that is the money that johan botha alone earns from IPL!

on March 29, 2013, 12:33 GMT

It has become rather fashionable these days to claim a moral high ground by saying, "I want to play in IPL, but I chose not to because I want to play for my county or country." If you want to play in the IPL, then play. If you don't want to play, then don't play. No need to make a big song and dance about it.

trav29
on March 29, 2013, 12:43 GMT

there are probably only a handful of players who would get a big enough contract from the IPL, if they were even bought in the first place, to justify giving up a full-time county contract

the worry for me about this whole thing is that the knock-on effect on county cricket by having to accommodate these handful of players could be detrimental to the 99% that wont get t20 money anyway and by definition those handful of players that could benefit from the t20 are those that are probably the highest earners anyway

on March 29, 2013, 13:19 GMT

I don't get a lump in my throat, reading Lumb's lament, on the lack of luck for a lot of lads in the English county circuit! ( But, I thought, County circuit is adequately rewarding in money terms, in addition to supremely rewarding in cricketing terms).

I truly wish, a lot of young Indian cricketers go and play for English counties to LEARN good cricket. They are the best nurseries to assimilate good cricket, and good cricketing habits.

on March 29, 2013, 13:27 GMT

There is this little vicious cycle here. Those who have low chance to play for England, will not get lucrative bids in the IPL auction. Those who can get a good bid are the ones who are already playing for England, or have good chance of playing soon.

So, those who have little chance to play for their country, but salivate on the missed chances to make easy bucks will only get heartburns and peptic ulcer. So, forget it; get your heads down; and get cracking good performances for your respective counties. Who knows, fortunes may change with consistent good performances.

D-Train
on March 29, 2013, 13:46 GMT

Players are going to have to make a choice. If I'm employed by one organization they're not going to let me freelance somewhere else while I'm supposed to be working for them, so you can understand the position that the counties are in.

However you can also understand the position the players are in. Back in the Sheffield Shield I read Trent Copeland was earning $70,000 a year playing cricket at one stage. Compare that to a Kane Richardson who's earning literally 10 times that in about 1 month.

on March 29, 2013, 14:07 GMT

If you are an England contracted player and your County appearances are limited then I don't see why you should be freed to play IPL.

If players who are not centrally contracted want to go freelance then that is their choice. But in affect it is not freelance unless they don't actually have a county team, the likes of Owais Shah just has a shorter county contract and is no difference from an overseas player coming in for 3 months etc.

The worry would be if top younger players such as Alex Hales and Jos Buttler who may not think they have immediate Test prospects decide to throw their all into the IPL and maybe turn their back on One Day International and T2O international cricket. They would still play a good chunk for their county missing noi more games than if they were away on England limited over duty and could reap the IPL riches plus play in the Big Bash etc.